The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical connectors and in particular to a new and useful electrical connector assembly for light fixtures.
There are many different types of light fixtures which have different types of sockets and different types of bulbs, such as incandescent lamp bulbs, fluorescent lamp bulbs, halogen lamp bulbs, and high intensity discharge (HID) lamp bulbs. As a result, when it is desired to change the type of lamp bulb used, it is necessary to change the entire light fixture because the socket of one type of lamp bulb will typically not accommodate other lamp bulb types.
Although the above-mentioned problem exists in environmental lighting in general, one example of the problem can also be illustrated in photography and imaging. U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,598 discloses a reflector of the umbrella type with a light fixture. The light fixture comprises a housing such as a metal cylindrical enclosure containing a socket for receiving and electric lamp. A cylindrical stem is connected to and extends rearwardly of the housing. A power cord is plugged into the rear of the stem and is electrically connected to the socket so that when a plug of the cord is plugged into an electrical outlet, the lamp can be lit. However, the light fixture is limited to only a certain type of bulb or bulbs that will be accommodated by the specific type of socket that is contained within the housing. In the fields of photography and imaging, it is often necessary to use different types of lighting, requiring a different lighting fixture type for each different lighting use or purpose. For using different types of lights with the reflector described above, the entire light fixture, including the housing and stem, has to be replaced which is cumbersome and inefficient.
There is a need in the field of lighting in general as well as in other fields which use lighting (e.g., imaging and photography) for an apparatus which can be used to easily and conveniently replace only the socket and bulb portions of the light fixture without having to replace the entire light fixture. Such a device is not known in the art.
Prior art which is relevant to the present invention, but does not solve the above-identified problem, can be found in U.S. patent classes and subclasses: 362/226 and 439/284, 286, 311, 318, 319, 332, 336. A list of the most relevant prior art references is provided below:
U.S. Pat. No.Inventor(s)1,304,075Lofgren2,005,475Schmidt2,093,037Douglas3,701,965DuRocher et al.4,737,119Stieler4,895,530Gugelmeyer et al.4,902,238Iacobucci6,226,068Arcykiewicz et al.6,290,525Jacobi6,402,533Fan Wong6,561,841Norwood et al.6,634,897Cykon et al.
Some of these patents are described in more detail below. Although a variety of electrical connectors are known in the art as described below, none of these electrical connectors are designed for lighting fixtures or satisfy the problem identified above.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,965 to DuRocher et al. discloses a connector assembly comprising first and second electrical terminal carriers, a spring, and a housing.
The spring is introduced into the housing first. Then, the second terminal carrier is rotated with respect to the housing so that a flange of the second terminal carrier may enter a slot of the housing via gaps between flanges of the housing. Thus the second carrier is pushed axially into the body of the housing. The second terminal carrier is then further rotated so that respective flanges of the second terminal carrier and housing cooperate with one another to prevent axial movement. The spring is trapped between the housing and second terminal carrier, constantly biasing the second terminal carrier axially of the housing, while axial movement of the second terminal carrier is disabled by the cooperation between the flanges of the housing and second terminal carrier.
The first terminal carrier is then aligned such that it may move axially of the second terminal carrier. The first terminal carrier is rotated clockwise to move the flanges of the first terminal carrier into underlying relation with respect to the flanges of the housing. Simultaneously, the flanges of the second terminal carrier move into the gaps between the flanges of the housing such that the spring can expand and move the second terminal carrier axially with respect to the first terminal carrier. Because the first terminal carrier flanges are locked with the housing flanges, the first terminal carrier cannot be disassembled from the housing, thereby keeping the assembly connected.
Several patents also disclose bayonet connections involving a pin on one connector and a helical or J-shaped groove or cam slot on a mating connector. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,304,075 to Lofgren discloses a two-part separable connector comprising a socket shell and a second shell which is telescopingly fitted in the socket shell. The second shell carries radially projecting pins for engagement with slots in the socket shell.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,005,475 to Schmidt discloses an electrical connector assembly comprising a screw plug, a connector plug and a cylindrical sleeve mounted on the connector plug. A free edge of the sleeve is provided with a pair of diametrically arranged bayonet slots that are adapted to co-act with pins of the screw plug for locking the sleeve and connector plug to the screw plug. A spring is coiled about the exterior of the connector within the sleeve and between the shoulder of the connector and the end of the sleeve. The tendency of the spring is to push the sleeve away from the front face of the connector, or away from the screw plug when the connector is attached to the screw plug. The slots can be slipped over the pins, and then by a twist or turn of the sleeve, the bayonet slots are engaged with the pins to lock the sleeve and the connector to the screw plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,093,037 to Douglas discloses an electrical connector assembly in which bayonet pins are provided upon a first shell coacting with bayonet slots upon a complimentary second shell having the usual bayonet seat within which the pins are held seated by a spring exerting pressure on the first shell.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,530 to Gugelmeyer et al. discloses an electrical connector assembly comprising a plug connector having a housing and a pair of cam followers extending in diametrically opposed directions outwardly from the housing of the plug connector. The cam followers are cylindrical in configuration. The cam followers are spaced slightly rearwardly from the extreme front mating end of the housing. The electrical connector assembly further comprises a socket connector with a housing to be mated with the plug connector of the assembly. The socket connector has a housing with a forward mating end which contains a pair of generally helical cam slots on diametrically opposite sides of the housing. Each cam slot is dimensioned to slidably receive a cam follower from the housing of the plug connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,533 to Fan Wong discloses a decorative light plug having a female connector and a cover for the connector. The female connector has a flange formed on an outer periphery and a pair of keys formed on opposite sides of the female connector. The cover has a pair of L-shaped keyways formed on an inner face defining a blind hole and corresponding to the pair of opposed keys of the female connector. When the decorative light is not in use, the user may use the cover to engage with the decorative light by inserting the keys into the corresponding L-shaped keyways. After the keys are completely inserted into the keyways, the user may rotate the cover to hold the keys inside the L-shaped keyways and therefore secure the engagement between the cover and the decorative light.
Accordingly, a need remains for a solution to the problem described above.